TEHRAN- Through manufacturing of over 160,000 vehicles in Iran, Renault hit a record high in 2017, according to a report by the Communications Department of Renault Pars (a joint venture established in 2004 between France’s Renault and Iranian car makers Iran Khodro and Saipa).

The report said that production of Renault in Iran witnessed a 48-percent growth in 2017 and gaining 11 percent of the Iranian market, the company experienced its most successful year of performance in the Middle East country.

One day after Renault released the report of its global activities in 2017, Pascal Felten, the company’s director for MENA region, said Iran has played a noticeable part in the French company’s last year achievements.

He said: “Results in Iran were noticeable and with a growth of about 50 percent in the Iranian market, the name of Iran is now shining in Renault’s world.”

In a press conference on Tuesday, Renault Pars Managing Director Ramtin Esmaili highlighted the record high of 160,000 vehicles in 2017 and said: “Before that, the highest production has been 108,000 vehicles in Iran.”

Renault’s daily production in Iran also hit a record high of 766 cars during 2017, he added.

Iran in ‘top ten’ list of Renault Group

Elsewhere in his remarks, the managing director of Renault Pars said: “Renault Group comprises five brands of Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors, Alpine and LADA and Iran gained the position of the eight largest market of this group in 2017. In this way, we came to the list of ‘top ten’ largest market. Also, Iran became the third largest market of Renault brand in last year which placed the country in the ‘top three’ list of the brand which is a noticeable achievement.”

“Taking the third place indicates that while boosting the quantity of production we have managed to preserve quality as well”, Esmaili underlined.

Quality the most important factor

Esmaili mentioned quality as the first and main factor in his company. He also referred to elevation of quality level in the activity of their suppliers and said: “Our suppliers are inside the country and achieving the production figure of 160,000 cars indicates that the quality of their work has been promoted to supply parts for this amount of production.”

He further announced that for modernization of products, Renault Pars equipped all of its products with JHQ gearbox which is a new generation of integrated manual gearbox.

Measures underway to boost exports

Renault Pars managing director further put the company’s exports at 5,500 cars before the sanctions and said the exports is being revived.

“We are conducting necessary investigations in the target countries”, he noted.

“We are also working on the plans for the exports of parts and raw materials. Two parts as samples have been already sent to Russia and South Africa, and we are also cooperating with a petrochemical company for the production of raw materials to be used domestically and be exported”, Esmaili further announced.

He also said that they have boosting production and manufacturing new products among their plans for the next year.

Last October, Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Renault, announced that his company has a long-term serious plan for presence in the Iranian market.

Making the remarks during a press conference in Paris on revealing the company’s mid-term plan, the CEO underlined the significance of Iranian market and stressed that Renault will not leave the country.